California Department of Fish & Wildlife

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Traditional Hunter Education

Overview

The Traditional Hunter Education course consists of a minimum of 10 hours of classroom, homework, and field instruction. The Traditional Course is most often preferred by first-time hunters.

STOP All students are required to obtain a California Get Outdoors ID (GO ID) prior to registering for California Hunter Education courses. If you are a previous CDFW license holder (i.e. Fishing), your GO ID is printed on the license above your name.

Classes are generally scheduled for 1-3 sessions. Students will receive training in firearms safety and handling, sportsmanship and ethics, wildlife management and conservation, archery, black powder, wildlife identification, game care, first aid, and survival. After a student has successfully completed the course of instruction and passed the final examination, they are awarded a Certificate of Completion.